The Evil Remains
by xXxFANxOFxFICTIONxXx
Summary: A guide to those who seek fiction help – I figure this category needs one of these.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello all! You're probably wondering what this is all about, so listen and listen good. I'm writing this with the help of tips from many Anti-Suethors who try to do good by giving example of excellent Avatar fiction. This story won't just cover Sues, though. It will also cover grammar and a little thing called SPELL-CHECK, as well as a few more tips on being in- or out-of-character. So read on in hopes this helps clear up the small muddy of fics in the ATLA section, and hopefully improving the overall fics on Read on…_

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**1. Mary-Sues**

Mary-Sues. Most know what these are, and many that do don't give a crap about them. Those that don't give a crap about them are what we call Suethors. (There is also a male version of Suethors, which will be mentioned later.)

**Suethor **(sōō-thūr) **n.**

**1 **An author who portrays herself in the form of a movie/TV/book/etc. character **2 **A self-insert into a movie/TV/book/etc. who attempts to muddy up the plot-line **3** An additional character – alter-ego of the author – incorporated into the story line to take the reader's attention away from the canon and focus on the sob-story of the Sue

**Mary-Sue** (marē-sōō) **n.**

**1** The character portrayed in a plot by a _Suethor_ (see definition above) **2 **A Sparklypoo image in a _Suethor_'s (again, see definition above) head

**MYTH:**

"It's _only_ an OC. So what if my character has a relationship with a canon?"

**FACT:**

So _what_? A lot, that's for sure. Yeah, Sokka can sometimes be girl crazy, but he's slightly involved with Suki, thinks about Yue all the time, has Ty Lee goo-goo gaga in love with him, and has Toph harboring a crush on him. He's more occupied than he needs, but keep your Sue-ish pink manicure-ish claws off of him. I mean, _SERIOUSLY_: face the fact! Sokka would date Katara, Pakku, Meng, and even Appa before laying a finger on some blond haired, 21st century named, IM chatting, D-cupped, anorexic sparklypoo bitch. Sokka may sometimes pig out on food and act his clumsy, brash persona, but he's not just gawky and ludicrous. He's a great leader, a great warrior, and –contrary to popular belief – HAS A BRAIN and will not INSTANTLY fall head-over-heels for some girl he just met.

Same with Zuko. He has been sexually assaulted, raped, touched, and so many other gruesome things more than any other character, and honestly… why? He's not that type of guy! No matter how attractive your Sue may be, Zuko is not going to just _budge_. I don't care if your mother abandoned you to join the circus or if she has pentapox and only has three days to live or – something even more tragic – like she hasn't lost her virginity yet and needs someone strong to help or she broke one of her sparklypoo nails or whatever other macaroni your twisted little mind can come up with. Zuko doesn't fall for crappy, fake-tragic sob stories.

And for the small gaggle of Aang addicts if there: he likes KATARA! Move on with your life! Aang would most likely act as he did for Meng, totally creeped out by her.

**MYTH:**

-Aang is a sweets-crazed, sugar-high toddler

-Katara is a PMS bitch

-Katara would rape Zuko

-Sokka is totally gaga girl-crazy

-Sokka is obsessed with food and as dumb as a post

-Toph is a PMS bitch

-Toph will get along with someone the moment she meets them

-Zuko _needs_, and I mean _NEEDS_ a girl to love, adore, and understand him

-Iroh is nothing more than a fat, tea-loving old man

-Iroh is a dirty, R-rated man who would invite a D-cup into his house to date Zuko

-Azula has a soft side

-Mai is a PMS bitch and wants to do Zuko

-Ty Lee is a PMS bitch

**FACT:**

-Aang is a very powerful bender

-Katara is a feminist and would most likely give any dude who tries to mingle whiplash

-Sokka may like some girls (as any 15-year-old guy in his right mind would) but is not a two- or three-timer

-Sokka is an excellent strategist and an intelligent and able warrior

-Toph is cautious around strangers and would treat your Mary-Sue like a pile of platypus-bear dung.

-Zuko is too complex for a girl, nor does he dream of Mai, Katara, or anyone else

-Iroh is wise beyond anyone on earth

-Iroh would burn your Sue to a crisp if she so much as came within 100 yards of him – he's not the Dragon of the West for no reason

-Azula is a power hungry, natural-born leader

-Mai is a mope, but is a powerful warrior

-Ty Lee likes Sokka, but she isn't a bitch. Though awfully fruity, she can be wise and level-headed

**HOW TO POSSIBLY DE-SUE YOUR MARY-SUE:**

Gosh, toughie. I guess it comes down to this:

An OC is defined as a servant, merchant, neighbor, customer, etc. with a tiny speaking part. Really, no satisfactory romances can occur with an OC, to stick to canon shipping!

Also, when deciding on an OC, you don't want to waste a paragraph explaining, _the girl had chocolate brown eyes and jet black hair pulled into a bun_. _She was wearing an authentic pale blue wrap dress and silver moccasins_ –

STOOOOOP! No one gives a shit if your character was on fire when they met them! But you could give small hints of description, like _the girl at the counter stared down the group_. _Her searching chocolate eyes glinted as she surveyed the foursome, and she chewed on a strand of her dark hair as Aang asked for her assistance_.

See? Even that sounds a little Sue-ish, and it's toned down. Keep the part short and simple and remember the traits of the four nations:

**Earth Kingdom: **Skin color may vary from the paleness of Toph to the tan of King Bumi. Eye color usually brown, but shades of green and gray aren't unheard of. The clothes are usually hues of tan, green, gray, and possibly some purples and blues. Hair for women is worn in a braid, bun, or down-do. Men grow their hair out to wear braids and usually have fancy headdresses.

**Water Tribe: **Folks from this tribe are uncommon, but the skin is very tan. The eyes are always a form of blue, and the clothes go from shades of blue to violet. Hair for women is in a braid, and for men, up in a series of ponytails.

**Fire Nation: **The Firebenders are very pale. The eyes are either a yellow-hazel color like Azula's, a brown, or possibly gray, like Mai and Ty Lee. The clothes are made of red and black fabrics, or possibly other similar tinges, like gray or pink. Hairstyles for women are braids and buns, and for men, ponytails, usually with Fire Nation insignias.

**Air Nomads:** These are uncommon, usually only seen in Aang's flashbacks, if any. The nomads have pale skin, gray to hazel eyes. The clothes are various tones of orange and yellow. Men's heads were shaved, and women wore long hair with the forehead shaved to display Airbender tattoos, which both men and women wore.

**And something to remember:**

Hair was always, _always_, ALWAYS brown or black, unless it is an elderly person, who would have white or gray. The only exception is Yue, who was touched by the Moon Spirit. And _no_, none of your Sues will ever be touched by the moon or ANY spirit, so dream on.

_MORE TO COME LATER!_


	2. Chapter 2

**2. Spelling and Grammar**

Sure, we all make spelling mistakes every once and awhile, missing commas and hyphens, or find 'urself' using IM chat-speak. Well, all fun and games then, but this site is serious, and you'd do well to appreciate us readers who can't tell 'radish' from 'granola' in half of your stories because the word 'spell-check' makes you roll your eyes and say, "Whatever. I'm too good for spell-check." Because I use spell check – I'm using it right now!

**CHARACTER NAMES:**

One of the biggest mistakes in Avatar fandom is misspelling of the canon's names!

**It's **Aang, **not** Ang, Aan, Aag, or Ann.

**It's **Katara, **not** Katra, Katrina, Kara, or Tara.

**It's **Sokka, **not** Soka, Sakka, or Saka.

**It's **Toph, **not** Toff, Toh, Top, or Tohf.

**It's **Zuko, **not** Zukko, Zoko, Zuk, or Zooko.

**It's **Iroh, **not **Iro, Ira, Ioh, or Iah.

**It's **Azula, **not **Acula, Azla, Aula, Zula, or Azul.

**It's **Mai, **not** May or Ma.

**It's **Ty Lee, **not** Tylee, Tilee, Ty Li, or Ti Ly.

**CAPITALIZATION:**

**The Wrong Ways –**

1. katara and toph sat around the campfire as sokka fixed the tent.

2. hay covered the field and Appa instantly began to eat.

**The Right Ways – **

1. Katara and Toph sat around the campfire as Sokka fixed the tent. – _Capitalize characters' names._

2. Hay covered the field and Appa instantly began to eat. – _The beginning of a sentence always gets capitalized._

**PUNCTUATION:**

**The Wrong Ways –**

1. Aang sat on Appa's head contemplating the situation at hand he wasn't sure what to do

2. Toph sat at the water's edge kicking her feet in the waves a fish popped to the surface and made ripples

**The Right Ways –**

1. Toph sat at the water's edge kicking her feet in the waves A fish popped to the surface and made ripples –_ Use periods at the end of every sentence._

2. Aang sat on Appa's head contemplating the situation at hand. He wasn't sure what to do. – _Use commas for compound sentences._

**QUOTATION:**

**The Wrong Ways –**

1. Don't answer to Twinkle Toes that's not manly exclaimed Sokka.

2. What's wrong, Prince Zuko? asked Iroh. You seem upset.

**The Right Ways –**

1. "Don't answer to Twinkle Toes that's not manly!" exclaimed Sokka. –_Quotes go around each end of the speech. Also note the punctuation goes inside the quote as well._

2. "What's wrong, Prince Zuko?" asked Iroh. "You seem upset." – _Again, quotes around EVERYTHING being said._

**SPELL-CHECK:**

**The Wrong Ways –**

1. Aang surveyyed the area cloesely, looking for any sign of life.

2. _This is the gratest place in the world_, thought Katara happly.

**The Right Ways –**

1. Aang surveyed the area closely, looking for any sign of life.

2. _This is the greatest place in the world_, thought Katara happily.

_PSST! I'll tell you a secret… **USE SPELL-CHECK!** Seriously, just hit the F7 button at the top of your keyboard and voila! Spelling and grammar help! _

**AVOID NETSPEAK:**

**The Wrong Way –**

"so whassup???" Katara asked Toph. "im goin 2 the store and i was wondering if u wanted 2 come 2."

**The Right Way –**

"So, what are you doing?" Katara asked Toph. "I'm going to the store and I was wondering if you wanted to come too." – _Note, capitalization, the old style speak instead of the new "whassup" term, a single punctuation mark, the use of punctuation on a contraction, and the exclusion of numbers and single letters in place of words_.

**SUMMARIES:**

…or what hooks the reader. The summary style gives off a lot about your story. Wasting space with "_Sorry, suck at summaries_" or "_R&R plzz_" not only uses netspeak but does take away from the actual summary you "suck at".

Let's say for a moment you're writing a KataraxZuko romance story taking place in Ba Sing Se.

**The Wrong Way –**

Zuko and Katara meet each other. Sorry, suck at summaries! R&R pleeeez!

**The Right Way –**

Zuko and Katara run into each other unexpectedly in town. Katara feels guilt, but Zuko feels a swooping sensation. After all, they had "unfinished business" to attend to. Zutara.

**IN SHORT, **punctuation and representation of the fic make people's opinions. Would you like to be a respected author or a mediocre laughingstock? We both know you wouldn't choose the first one. Be smart. Take writing classes to improve your manuscript. There's no point writing if no one can understand you. I advise you to use this as well as other recommended stories. Also, spell-check, dictionaries, and thesauruses are really good tools that will not only benefit your writing but also help you in everyday life.


	3. Chapter 3

**3. Reviews**

Every story gets them. To some authors, they're pleasing. To others, they make you want to rip your hair out. Here's how to deal with them.

**Good Reviews:**

Good reviews offer praise. They make you feel good that someone else who is a fan likes your style or shares your views. When someone reviews (whether it be good or bad) it is common courtesy to reply back. You don't need to get all technical about it. A simple 'Thank you:)' would suffice.

**Bad Reviews:**

Most stories deserve good reviews, but some get BAD reviews. If you get one, or two, or loads... just chill. It's not the end of the world. Here's the dos and don'ts of reacting…

**DON'TS**

-DON'T go to their page and give all of _their_ stories bad reviews.

-DON'T change your profile and username, going into hiding is NOT the answer.

-DON'T become emo, cut yourself, and refuse to ever touch a pencil again.

**DOS**

-DO reply to their review and promise to work on it.

-DO keep your profile name the same, no one likes a chicken.

-DO keep writing. Take writing classes. Lengthen your skills and use the suggestions given by the reviewer. Odds are, others felt the same way and will appreciate your ability.

**Where do I sign up to quit?**

Nowhere, honey. DON'T NOT GIVE UP ON YOUR READERS! You may have not updated for awhile and think, "Oh, they won't notice if it's gone" or if someone says one bad thing, say "That's it. I must suck!" Either way is a bad path down the road to depression not only to you but your readers. Readers do notice when you don't update but they wait anyway. And if you have more than 5 reviews from people who like the story, I'd say go for continuing it unless they're reviews don't have any suggestions – are 100 positive. I can honestly say, though, if you've attempted, maybe, a few romance stories that happened to turn out like lemur barf, there's a little warning flag going up. Romance obviously, then isn't your thing. I can guarantee there are enough romance-ficcers here to fill Ba Sing Se. Maybe attempt action fics, or angst, or even a horror story – you maybe even could try a corny humor story (like what I'm attempting right now).

**The Importance of Acknowledgement**

Now, I understand you can't go through and reply to _every_ review, especially if your story is lengthy – one person may review 14 times for one story – but at least read them. Take what they say to heart. Well, okay, not all of it, because some fans are full of applesauce. But for those who offer wholesome advice, instead of just writing "That sucked!" and instead "This is – sorry – really bad. The plot is unclear, and the spelling and grammar makes it harder to read", thank them for their honesty and work on your weak points. That's what reviews are for; praise, tips, and an idea of your level of writing skill.

**When YOU Review:**

Ignore the term 'flame' because the meaning has been so sliced up it's like a microscopic paper snowflake. Basically call it as negative or positive. If you like the story, say "Great story! I loved it!" and if you didn't, state that and explain why.

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_So, how am I doing so far? Experienced authors, tips for the next chapters? Suethors, hilarious complaints to make you sound more ridiculous? I ask you to take the time and review, because I would LOVE to hear your thoughts._


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